Woonsocket Rolls Past Moses Brown 39-0, Sets Sights on Burrillville Showdown
The short version
- Woonsocket beat Moses Brown 39-0 to improve to 3-0.
- Jalil Quinones-Diaz, a former receiver, rushed for nearly 100 yards in the first quarter at quarterback.
- Dan Cote recorded two sacks and multiple pressures; he had a pick-six in Week 1 vs. Classical.
- Woonsocket hosts undefeated Burrillville, the Division II preseason favorite, on Friday, October 2 at Dionne Field.
- The schedule then includes West Warwick, Westerly, Johnston and East Providence.
The Villa Novans improved to 3-0 with a dominant home win over the Division III Quakers and now face undefeated Burrillville on October 2.
Woonsocket made short work of visiting Moses Brown on Friday night at Dionne Field, building a comfortable lead in less than a quarter on the way to a 39-0 win. The victory moved the Villa Novans to 3-0 on the season and set up a Week 4 home date with undefeated Burrillville on Friday, October 2.
The fast start was fueled by a long kickoff return that set up Carlos Valentin's first touchdown for a 6-0 lead. Valentin scored again after a defensive stop, and quarterback Jalil Quinones-Diaz added two long touchdown runs in the opening quarter. He finished the period with another score that pushed the advantage to 26-0.
Quinones-Diaz, a senior captain who spent his career at receiver, rushed for nearly 100 yards in the first quarter alone. He moved to quarterback this season after the team lost several key starters to graduation and transfer, saying the coaches needed him under center and that as a captain he had to step up.
Woonsocket entered the fall searching for an identity after those departures. The defense delivered in Week 1 against Classical, where defensive end Dan Cote returned an interception for a touchdown in a win over the Purple. Week 2 at Ponaganset proved far tougher, as the Novans struggled with defensive discipline and the Chieftains' misdirection before Quinones-Diaz led a late scoring drive and ran in the two-point conversion to win it.
That escape provided a lesson about focus. Players acknowledged they came out flat against Ponaganset after assuming the game would be easy, and both Quinones-Diaz and Cote said the team corrected its mindset with a strong week of practice before facing Moses Brown. Cote backed it up Friday with two sacks and consistent pressure off the edge.
The defense shapes up as the strength of the team, with an athletic secondary and a front seven described as the unit's crown jewel. The offense remains a work in progress as Quinones-Diaz develops at quarterback. His arm strength is not a concern, but reading defenses and making the right throws will matter as the schedule toughens. The coaching staff has simplified his decisions and used his mobility outside the pocket.
The schedule now turns sharply. After hosting Burrillville, the preseason favorite in Division II, Woonsocket travels to West Warwick and then faces Westerly, Johnston and East Providence. Those opponents are playoff-caliber, and the stretch will determine whether the Novans establish themselves among the division's best.
Both captains said the focus is on building off the win and cleaning up mistakes before the bigger games arrive. Cote emphasized the daily grind, while Quinones-Diaz noted that the small errors from the first three weeks cannot happen against top competition.
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